The Choices We Make
by TigerInTheMoonlight
Summary: A horrible crime committed years ago is brought into the light at the discovery of one little girl. How can a 12 year old Naruto take care of a child, when he can hardly take care of himself? Will he hold on, or let go?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Naruto' in any way, shape or form. You really should know this by now.**

**To quote a song that you ALL should know of, "oops, I did it again!" That's right. I gave in and started writing another fic. Don't blame me! Blame the Muse…she's stubborn as hell.**

The Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk in silence, awaiting news about the current situation from one of his personal ANBU. His office was closed for the time being, and he was taking no appointments until this issue was dealt with. He turned to look blankly out the window overlooking Konohagakure, wondering how he had ever let it get to this. Suddenly, without a sound nor cloud of smoke, there stood an ANBU.

"Hokage-sama, she is awake, but refusing to speak. The doctors are going to sedate her, she was very distressed." The ANBU relayed from his position, leaning on one knee with his head down.

"I see…Thank you Bear." The Sandaime nodded in understanding, gesturing for the ANBU to stand.

"Sir, if I may enquire as to the girl's mother-"

The Hokage cut Bear's question off and replied haltingly. "Dead. With her injuries so severe, it is not surprising in the least."

"Hokage-sama…for someone who just lost a member of his village to an unknown culprit, you seem rather unconcerned." The ANBU stated carefully, aware of how it could be taken the wrong way.

"I am concerned Bear, just not for the fate of that _woman_. How she managed to avoid detection for so long astounds me." The Sandaime all but growled to himself..

"…Sir?"

He waved off the ANBU. "Never mind. You are dismissed."

The ANBU nodded and **Shunshin**ed out of the office. Hiruzen brought one withering hand up to his face and sighed deeply. The aging Hokage felt every wrinkle and crease at this moment, and his eyes held pure regret and worry.

"Naoko!" he called. Almost immediately, the large door opened a fraction and the sharpened face of his secretary peered inside meekly.

"Yes Hokage-sama?"

"I need you to send out a request for one of my Ninja, I require his presence." The Sandaime ordered sternly, adopting his voice of authority.

The brunette bowed. "Of course, who am I sending it to?" she enquired. Hiruzen's lips pursed.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

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Naruto was bored. Sasuke was being a Teme as usual, Kakashi was late _again_ and he was currently nursing the swelling bump on his head that was the result of yet another violent rejection of the Sakura variety.

Not fun.

Not to mention he was _tired._ Gone was his usual energy, it had been sapped away overnight and the bags beneath his eyes were a testimony to that. Why, of all times, did _that_ nightmare have to come back now? Team Seven had just recently completed their first C-rank mission, what if they got another today? He couldn't be yawning the whole time! Sasuke would never let him live it down! Growling under his breath, Naruto glared at the bridge rails as if they had wronged him personally.

They were _Shinobi,_ why the _hell_ did it need safety rails anyway? No civilians would be caught dead here, so close to the _Demon's_ team's training grounds. Except the Sasuke Fangirls, but who cares if they fall in?

Realising he had gotten side-tracked, Naruto shook his head to clear the fog.

"Dobe, why are you shaking your head like a dog? Has Inuzuka been rubbing off on you?" Sasuke sneered. Naruto glared.

"Shut up Teme! I was just thinking." He replied angrily.

"Don't hurt yourself." The Uchiha mocked, causing Naruto's blood temperature to rise.

"TEME!"

"NARUTO STOP YELLING AT SASUKE-KUN, YOU'LL DAMAGE HIS PRECIOUS EARS!" Sakura screeched louder than should be possible. Naruto clutched at the side of his head in agony and Sasuke lifted his hands, checking to make sure there was no blood coming out of his ears.

"Ahh, getting along as usual I see?" Kakashi appeared with a quiet 'pop', holding his book in front of his face as usual. Naruto leaped, latching onto the surprised Jounin with anime tears.

"Sensei! Thank Kami you're here, someone replaced Sakura-chan with an evil Banshee!"

"NARUTO I AM NOT A BANSHEE!" the pink haired girl shrieked, bringing her fist down upon his already injured skull hard. He flaked off Kakashi and landed with a thud.

"…Never mind…it is her after all…" he grumbled. Sasuke shook his head.

"Tch, idiots. Do we have a mission or not?" he demanded, staring straight at Kakashi, who eye-smiled back.

"Nope!"

Sasuke's eyebrow rose. "No?" he verified.

"No. Hokage-sama didn't assign any today." Kakashi informed them all too cheerfully, never once tearing his gaze from the infamous perverted book. Sakura blinked owlishly.

"But why Sensei?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Who knows? Now, my cute little Genin, run home or do whatever else it is you do." He waved them off in dismissal before disappearing with a 'pop'. Typical.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, stalking off in the direction of the Uchiha Compound, no doubt for either brooding or training. Sakura deflated, seeing that her crush was already too far away for her to 'casually' ask him for a date. Naruto, who had already had enough wounds inflicted by their female teammate today, plastered a bright grin on his face and ran off in a streak of orange without bugging her.

Sakura blinked again, suddenly realising she was alone. She huffed and strode off in the direction of Team Ten's training grounds. Maybe she could show up Ino-pig again…

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Naruto wandered around the streets aimlessly for a time, ignoring any harsh glares or insults muttered as he passed. They had long since lost any creativity. His stomach rumbled loudly and he sighed, too bad there was no one around to pay for his ramen, he had left his wallet at home again. Not that there was all that much in it anyway. Making up his mind, he headed towards the Academy. Maybe he could visit Iruka-sensei or even Konohamaru and his friends? Anything to pass the time…

He smiled as he walked through the gates at the entrance of the Academy, not even a year ago he had still been a student, a Shinobi in training. Now here he was, a Genin! One step closer to his dream of being Hokage.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?" A pleasantly surprised voice asked from behind, causing Naruto to spin around rapidly.

"Iruka-sensei!" the blonde grinned, "Nothing really, training was cancelled and we didn't have a mission so…I thought I'd say hi!"

"Really? Well that's odd, but in any case it's good to see you! It's been a while, almost a month, I was beginning to think you had forgotten your poor Academy Sensei." Iruka joked with an exaggerated sigh of dismay. Naruto just laughed, brushing aside the small twinge of guilt.

"Haha, no way could I forget about you Iruka-sensei! You are my favourite Sensei after all!"

"Don't let Kakashi hear you say that, from what I've heard he can pull enough strings to set you up with a week-long training session with Gai!" Iruka warned, shuddering slightly as he said the last part.

Naruto didn't get it. "Who's Gai?"

"You don't want to know." Iruka replied with a sudden seriousness. Naruto shifted in discomfort at the gaze.

"Um…right."

"So Naruto, how about we go out for ramen? You can tell me about the missions you've completed." Iruka suggested, lightening the dramatic atmosphere instantly as of the sun had come out.

"RAMEN! I love you, I love you, I love you Iruka-sensei!" Naruto cheered as he pulled the laughing Chunin to Ichiraku's.

"-And then out of _nowhere_ this massive sword came swinging at us, nearly took off our heads! Kakashi-sensei fought the guy, Momichi…no, _Momochi _Zabuza. He was a Missing-nin! Anyway Kakashi-sensei got caught so_ I_ came up with a plan to rescue him, even Sasuke-Teme agreed to it! So then-" Naruto babbled excitedly, somehow managing to speak coherently with a mouth full of ramen. He was so engrossed in his story that he never noticed somebody was standing behind him until they cleared their throat loudly.

"Uzumaki Naruto?"

Naruto turned on his stool and faced the speaker. It was an ANBU, one of the ones he had seen around the Hokage Tower, meaning he or she was one of Jiji's personal guards. "Hai?"

"You are to go to the hospital immediately, Hokage's orders. He is waiting for you there." The ANBU informed him.

Blue eyes widened. _What, why? Is somebody hurt? Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, Sasuke-Teme…Or even Jiji himself! Oh no, oh no, oh no-_

"Uzumaki?" The ANBU said, snapping the blonde's attention back to him.

"Oh, um, right. Yeah, I'll go there now." He told the masked guard. The ANBU nodded once and leapt away, leaving a confused Genin in his wake.

Iruka, noticing his former student's nerves, set down his own chopsticks. "Would you like me to go with you Naruto? I'm sure everything is ok…"

In a rare show of uncertainty, Naruto looked down as he nodded. "That…that might be nice Iruka-sensei. Thanks."

What was going on? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

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The Sandaime walked over to the pair as soon as they entered the hospital. "Ahh, Naruto. You have arrived…And Iruka, long time no see. Here as a favour to Naruto I presume?"

Iruka nodded in respect. "Hai Hokage-sama, but if you must speak to him alone I can step outside-"

The Hokage just held up a hand and shook his head. "Nonsense Iruka, I know Naruto trusts you above any other. You may stay unless he requests otherwise."

"Jiji…what is this about? Is someone hurt?" Naruto began, before another possibility came to him. "I swear I haven't done anything, if someone is saying I did-"

Hiruzen knew where the boy's fears were coming from, unfortunately he wouldn't put it past the Council or his citizens to accuse the blonde of such things. "Now Naruto, calm down. There has been a…new development in the case from a few years ago." He said slowly, unsure of the Genin's reaction.

All the blood from Naruto's face drained shockingly fast, leaving the blonde unnaturally pale with a slight shaking to his frame and dumbstruck eyes. Iruka watched with confusion and worry, what on earth could scare the blonde so much? He had never seen him like this before.

"W-what, I mean, how..." Naruto muttered weakly mostly to himself, trailing off at the end.

"It is best that you see for yourself before I can explain everything." The Sandaime said gently, and at the blonde's hesitant nod, he led the boy down the hospital corridor, Iruka following close behind. Pushing open a generic grey door, the Hokage gestured for Naruto to enter first. The blonde's heart was racing as he entered, but he then stopped in puzzlement at what he saw.

A tiny figure lay wrapped inside painfully white sheets. Her mid-length hair was slightly mussed, as if she had been having a restless night's sleep. Naruto could sympathise. He turned to the Hokage, not understanding why he was here, was this the wrong room? It had to be, this girl wouldn't have even been alive when…_that_ happened. And after all,_ that_ was what Jiji was talking about, right? Seeing the Hokage's head tilt in the direction of the young girl once again, Naruto returned to registering her features, looking for some kind of connection.

Blonde hair, she was pretty small, maybe only four or five years old? Her hands were lightly clenched around the pale bed sheet, a sign of distress he knew well enough. Her breaths were slow and relatively calm, contradicting the little frown crinkling her brow. She tossed her head to the side and picked up her breathing, causing a strand of hair to fall from the pillow and come to rest upon her whiskered cheek.

Wait…

_Whiskered cheek? _Naruto's blue eyes widened to a shocking size, and he turned his wordless stare in the direction of the Hokage, who was standing in front of an equally confused Iruka.

The Sandaime gave the blonde boy an appraising look and took a deep breath. Better to just come out and say it. "Naruto…this is your daughter."

…

…

…"_WHAT!"_ Iruka choked.

Naruto dropped to the cold tiles in a dead faint.

**Well what do you think? Continue or not?**

**By the way, here are the WARNINGS: Future swearing, mentions of past rape, child abuse.**

**(I didn't put them at the top as it would be a total give-away. Besides, it didn't really get into it here yet. From now on they will be at the top if I continue.)**

**-TITM**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Must I say it? I own not….**

**IMPORTANT: For those who were wondering how it was possible for a 12 year old Naruto to have a 4-5 year old daughter, here is the explanation. Basically (and this is true) the most common 'normal' time for a boy to begin puberty is between 9 and 16 years old. This means that the boys on the younger end of the scale produce sperm etc. earlier than those on the older end. In this story Naruto is most definitely on the younger end, so let's just say he began puberty at around 8 years old? (She is only JUST 4, but Naruto isn't a great judge of anything children-related so he guessed 4-5 when it's really 3-4) So there we go ^_^**

**WARNINGS: Swearing, mentions of past rape, child abuse**

Iruka was sweating. "D-daughter? Hokage-sama, what- I mean, how? It can't-"

The Sandaime met the Chunin's gaze and held up a hand. "Iruka, please contain yourself. We don't wish to wake her, she has been through enough trauma as it is without waking up to a scene such as this. Come to my office, and bring Naruto with you." He gestured to the passed out body on the floor.

Iruka scooped up the unconscious boy and made to follow the Sandaime out of the room, pausing to glance at the sleeping girl's face once more.

"Oh Naruto…what have you gotten yourself into now?" he sighed out loud, before closing the door quietly behind him.

Arriving at the Hokage Tower, Iruka laid Naruto across the small couch and sat in the chair opposite the Sandaime, who was patiently awaiting the oncoming questions.

Iruka ran a hand through his hair, causing some stray brown strands to come loose from their tie. "How is this possible? It shouldn't be possible…"

"You saw her as clearly as I did Iruka, they cannot be anything but blood related." The Hokage began reasonably, but Iruka was doubtful.

"But…a daughter? Surely there is some other explanation, the idea of Naruto with a kid is preposterous! He's just a kid himself!" he insisted. The Hokage chose his next words carefully.

"There are…circumstances that I cannot reveal until Naruto gives me his permission. I swore to him long ago that I would not speak of it to anyone unless out of necessity."

Iruka glanced at the unmoving figure on the couch. "…I understand sir. I will wait, but while we do, would you happen to have any Sake?" He really needed a drink after all this.

The Hokage reached under his desk and pulled out a large, unopened bottle. "I came prepared. This news is not easy to swallow."

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Naruto's hands were clenched tightly on the armrests of the chair, his knuckles white. "How…Why do these things always happen to me? Why me, why am I so cursed? First the fucking fox, now this…"

The Hokage folded his hands on the desk, searching for words to use in this situation. "I could have her sent to the orphanage-"

"But she looks like me, right?" Naruto glared at the floor bitterly. "And if how I was treated is any indication then it would be hell."

Hiruzen sighed and wove his fingers together. "…To put it bluntly, yes. Your childhood has been and always will be one of my greatest regrets, and I am not about to send another innocent to repeat it." He declared softly, saddened further by at seeing the blonde's dejected face. "However, there are options that can be explored."

"Options?" While he still spoke blandly, there was a hint of interest there. Options were good, no, options were great!

The Hokage shared a _look_ with Iruka before continuing. "Well, adoption for one. It is a slim possibility truthfully, given her…quirks, but still a possibility nonetheless." He explained, trying to be optimistic at the same time as realistic.

Naruto held back a snort at 'quirks', who was the old man trying to fool? Different means different and there is no sugar-coating that. "…Anything else?"

The Sandaime pursed his thinned lips. "Naruto…when the Council discovers this, and undoubtfully they will, there is a good chance that they will call for…well, undesirable things. She needs someone able to protect her from those people. I know how hard this must be for you-"

"No, you don't know! I mean, I've spent years trying to convince myself that it never happened, that the nightmares were just that and nothing more! Don't act all understanding because you _don't_ get it, you can't!" Naruto snapped, surprising Iruka with his disrespect shown to the man he was usually so fond of. Naruto had threaded his hands through his hair at some point, and was now pulling on it unconsciously in stress.

Iruka put down his half empty cup of Sake and reached for the blonde's hand. "Naruto…" he began. Naruto flinched and drew back into himself, dropping his hands onto his lap.

"Iruka-sensei, please just-just leave me alone. I can't…deal with this." His heart was beating erratically, it was so loud, they must be able to hear it! Was he going to die? Surely it wasn't healthy to have it beating so fast, like it was about to burst out of his chest! His pupils retracted into pinpoints as he tried not to panic, without much success.

The Hokage noticed the blonde's state immediately. "Naruto? Why don't you step outside for a moment, get some fresh air and some water while I explain everything to Iruka here. You don't have a problem with him knowing do you?"

"I guess not, it's hardly a secret now anyway right?" the blonde growled shakily as he stormed towards the doors, slamming them with a bang.

The Hokage sighed. "Well Iruka, I'm sure you have heard many rumours in your life surrounding the origins of Kekkei Genkai?" Iruka nodded in the affirmative. "One such rumour is that they emerged from the breeding of Jinchuriki. Nonsense of course, but then again most rumours are." The Sandaime paused.

"We both have seen what ambition and greed does to people, Iruka. It warps them into something unrecognizable…When Naruto was eight years old, one woman took it upon herself to 'create the strongest Kekkei Genkai ever seen' by breeding with the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi." Here he took a long drink of his Sake.

"No." Iruka had paled. He had developed suspicions after seeing the girl, but…it couldn't really have been…Not to Naruto.

Hiruzen nodded. "We never knew until it was too late. My ANBU were alerted to a disturbance outside of Naruto's home, just some protestors and vandals, nothing out of the ordinary unfortunately. They checked on him inside and found him in a wretched state." The glass now empty, the Hokage stopped to refill, topping up Iruka's at the same time. "..He never could tell us who did it, just that the woman had considered him unworthy of the honour." The Hokage sneered, an odd expression for such a generally laid-back man.

"We searched for the culprit of course, but every trail ran dry. We never believed anything had come of it, but that girl is a testament to the fact that we were wrong. Awful woman got her wish it seems, but at a great price."_ Which she more than deserved._ Thought the angry Hiruzen, he just wished he had been given the opportunity to do it himself.

"Sir?" Iruka urged him to continue. He didn't really _want_ to hear more, but he felt he_ had to_. He had to know.

"I sent the ANUB out to investigate an unfamiliar surge of chakra spiking at the outskirts of the village, and they found her. Bleeding terribly the poor thing, the Medics weren't sure she would make it…but she healed. Faster than could have been expected, although nowhere near as fast as Naruto." He added as almost an afterthought. Iruka's eyes went wide.

"You don't think-"

Hiruzen shook his head. "I don't know what to think Iruka. When she woke up she panicked and had to be sedated, but never said a word to anyone."

Iruka frowned. "How did nobody ever notice this three year old girl-" he began heatedly.

"Four, she's four years old." The Hokage interjected. The ANBU had found her birth certificate, her fourth birthday was two months ago. Iruka continued as if he had never been interrupted.

"-Four year old girl, that looked so obviously like Naruto? It's ridiculous, are they all blind?" he ranted, speaking directly to his cup of Sake, which was swirling as a result of his angry gesturing.

"It's very likely the girl was never allowed to meet anybody else Iruka. To be able to hide from the ANBU this long, she must have been very careful." The Hokage sighed, turning his head to stare at the roof in contemplation. Iruka growled.

"That_ bitch!_ Where is she, with Ibiki? Or better yet, Anko…you had better not let the Council give this woman a free pass or I swear, I'll kill her myself!" The Chunin threatened, stabbing his finger in the direction of the Sandaime. Screw respect, this was serious!

The Hokage looked down at the fuming brunet. "Iruka-"

"Don't try and stop me, I'll do it! Just point me in her direction and-"

"She's dead." Hiruzen informed the furious Shinobi.

"I'll shove a-" Iruka stopped. "Did you just say she was dead?"

"Yes. The chakra we sensed burned away a lot of flesh and poisoned her chakra network." He replied with a small, gleeful smile he attempted to hide behind his cup. Iruka's ire slowly seeped away, replaced by morbid curiosity once again.

"She was a Kunouchi?"

The Hokage watched a drop of Sake slip down the cup's surface and onto the hard oak underneath. "Hai, a Genin for fourteen years, never was able to advance. The lack of skill no doubt is what drove her to taking such drastic measures to create power." The Sandaime glared at his desk, which would soon be at risk of a Sake stain. "…The chakra spike was the girl's. It had yet to disparate when the ANBU got there…it was purple."

Iruka blinked. "Purple? What on earth…I've never heard of purple chakra before."

"Neither have I Iruka, I can only assume it is some kind of combination of normal chakra and that of the Kyuubi itself, which would explain the affects it had." Hiruzen guessed, remembering all to clearly the vivid red chakra of the Kitsune.

"This is why you haven't told the Council yet, isn't it?" Iruka predicted.

The Hokage nodded. "Astute as always Iruka. Yes, that is one of my reasons for not informing the Council, or more specifically the Elders. At the first sign of Kyuubi interference they would call for her death, just as they did for Naruto's."

Iruka's hands formed into fists. "You're the Hokage, surely you could remove them from their positions?"

"Trust me, if it was that simple they would have been cast out of power the second it became so corrupted." The Sandaime said morosely. "Legally they cannot make decisions involving a child without permission from the child's parents, the exception being orphans, which made fighting for Naruto's rights so difficult. If Naruto is to reject responsibility for this girl she will be classed as an orphan and there will be much less I can do since she is not a Shinobi under my command, or cared for by a Shinobi under my command."

"All these politics…" Iruka muttered. "None of this is fair, not to the girl, and especially not to Naruto."

"It pains me to put him in this situation Iruka, believe me it does, but despite what I told him, there are truly very little options, and none of them are ideal." Hiruzen wondered when paperwork had become the least of his problems.

"…What can we do?" Iruka asked, sounding slightly defeated. Hiruzen grimaced.

"There isn't much we can do. Both of them are victims of circumstances beyond their control…Iruka, I want you to find Naruto. Talk to him, reliving this ordeal isn't easy for him."

"Yes sir." Iruka bowed, and then disappeared in a swirl of leaves. The Hokage turned to look at his open window.

_Naruto…I hope you can get through this. You need her as much as she will need you._

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Naruto sat underneath the window of the Hokage's office, sticking to the outside surface with chakra. His arms were stretched around his bent knees, pulling them close to his chest as he listened to the conversation inside. This wasn't fair! And it _wasn't_ true! It couldn't be, that would mean everything had changed, and Naruto was not ready to accept that. He had worked so hard for the life he had now! Sure, it wasn't the best all the time, but he had friends! People he cared about, and people who cared back! And now it was all being destroyed by that…thing.

Yes, a thing. Not a girl, that would make it real and it _wasn't real!_ It couldn't be, he wouldn't believe it. He heard the Hokage and Iruka speaking.

"…_We never believed anything had come of it…"_

Yeah, great reassurance that was now Jiji. Thanks a million.

"…_the Medics weren't sure she would make it…"_

Well…it's not like he wanted it to die, but either way it wasn't his problem! Nope, nothing to do with him, no way, never.

"…_but she healed. Faster than could have been expected, although nowhere near as fast as Naruto."_

What? Of course it wasn't as fast as him, he held the damned Kyuubi for Kami's sake. What were they on about now?

"…_When she woke up she panicked and had to be sedated, but never said a word to anyone…"_

Sedated, like an animal. For some reason this got Naruto feeling indignant. Not for the g-_it_ of course, but out of principle!

"…_Four, she's four years old..."_

Naruto remained silent.

"…_never allowed to meet anybody else…"_

Well obviously. It's not like _she_ was going to flaunt the fruits of her crime to the public. Kami, he could just picture her shutting the kid in a basement or whatever. And _no,_ that was not pity he felt. It was…well, it wasn't pity.

"…_She's dead…"_

Wait, he missed that part! Who was dead?

"…_The chakra we sensed burned away a lot of flesh and poisoned her chakra network…"_

"…_She was a Kunouchi?..."_

They couldn't mean_ her_ right? If _she_ was dead he would just…know, right? There's no way that the _woman_ who caused such an impact on his life could just disappear without him even feeling it somehow. It just…didn't make sense.

"…_The chakra spike was the girl's. It had yet to disparate when the ANBU got there…it was purple..."_

"…_Purple? What on earth…I've never heard of purple chakra before…"_

Purple? What the heck? That's just freaky. And if_ Iruka-sensei_ hadn't heard of it, then it must be something weird, usually Iruka knew everything, he was even smarter than Sakura-chan!

"…_can only assume it is some kind of combination of normal chakra and that of the Kyuubi itself…"_

His blood ran cold. Icy cold. The Kyuubi played a part in this? Oh Kami, so some of his freaky-fox shit got passed on to it, holy crap._ Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…._

"…_reasons for not informing the Council, or more specifically the Elders. At the first sign of Kyuubi interference they would call for her death, just as they did for Naruto's..."_

This was getting all too real for Naruto._ Fuck._

"…_Legally they cannot make decisions involving a child without permission from the child's parents, the exception being orphans, which made fighting for Naruto's rights so difficult…"_

Those Council members all needed to go rot in a hole together somewhere. They had made his life so much more difficult than it had to be! …Besides, he was _not _a parent in any sense of the word.

"…_If Naruto is to reject responsibility for this girl she will be classed as an orphan and there will be much less I can do…"_

Was the old man trying to guilt trip him or something? Oh wait, they didn't know he was eves-dropping, right.

"…_None of this is fair, not to the girl, and especially not to Naruto..."_

Yeah you tell him Iruka-sensei! This is NOT fair to Naruto! _…And to it I guess. Sort of. Ok yeah._

"…_Both of them are victims of circumstances beyond their control…"_

What? No, no, no it's different! It wasn't his fault the Kyuubi was sealed in him, he was only a baby! He had no say in it, what happened wasn't his fault! People just blamed him for it! This was completely different…

_How is it her fault, she wasn't even born yet…_A traitorous voice whispered through the denial. _NO! Stop thinking about this!_ He heard the Hokage dismiss Iruka and without wasting a moment, the blonde leapt off the building and made for the trees, he needed to vent some frustrations.

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Iruka arrived at the devastated remains of what used to be a training ground. Trees were slashed so deep some bled thick, sticky sap, while others had been stripped of bark by angry fists and feet. He found Naruto sitting in the middle of the expanse, staring at his bloody knuckles blankly as they healed once again. The tanned skin regrew over the wounds, pushing out the invading splinters as it did so. His shoes were all but falling off his feet after the rough treatment they received, and his bright orange jumpsuit was darkened with sweat. Blonde hair fell limp around his lowered face, it seemed that Naruto had lost all that made him _Naruto_ this time, but Iruka was determined to fix that.

"Naruto?"

No response.

"Hey…" he crouched down beside him. "You know, this place never did anything to you. Why the harsh treatment?" Iruka asked gently, while attempting to lighten the mood.

"Go away." Naruto muttered. Iruka sighed.

"Now come on Naruto, you know me better than that. I'm not leaving until you look at me."

Naruto glanced up with haunted blue eyes. "There, I looked. Goodbye Iruka-sensei." Naruto said in a hardened voice, he was determined to shut himself off from everything. The saying 'ignorance is bliss' couldn't be more true at that moment, he just wanted to disappear into his own little world, away from his life this time. Iruka stood his ground.

"Well, it was a start. Now I just need you to talk to me."

Naruto glared at the blank-faced Chunin. "I'm talking."

"You know what I mean." Iruka gave the blonde a deadpanned look.

"There's nothing to say."

"Oh I think there is _plenty_ to say." Iruka disagreed. The blonde was silent once again. "Ok then, I'll start. You have a daughter." He stated.

"I do _not_. That…it has nothing to do with me." Naruto said weakly. Iruka gave him a stern look.

"Naruto…be serious for a moment here. Now I know this isn't what you planned, or ever wanted, but it's happened."

Naruto shook his head rapidly in denial. "No-"

Iruka cut him off. "Listen! There is a little girl lying in that hospital bed, without any family in the world other than _you_."

"But-"

Iruka interrupted once again. "You always wanted a family right? This is it."

Naruto's composure broke. "I wanted parents to take care of _me!_ Someone to look after me and love me, tell me everything is ok even when it isn't! Not for _me_ to be the parent, I can't do that!" He swallowed and looked away. "I-I…I can't even look after myself all the time! People hate me, what do you think they would do if they thought the Demon had…had _spawned_, it would just get worse! My missions barely put ramen on the table as it is and now you want me to be…with a kid, no! I can't!"

Iruka mulled over his words. "…You wanted a parent to take care of you?"

"YES!" Naruto cried desperately. Iruka felt for the boy, he really did, but he had to understand the severity of the situation.

"No matter what?" Iruka asked. Naruto nodded into his knees.

"Then what about that little girl Naruto? Doesn't she deserve that too?" Iruka watched knowingly as he turned Naruto's own words against him.

"…"

Iruka winced at what he was about to say, but it had to be done. The boy needed to snap out of this self-pitying. "Naruto, you always hated the way people blamed you for something you had no control over, but you are doing the exact same thing right now. It's not that innocent child's fault how she was conceived, and yet you are acting as if she committed the crime herself. Are you really so prepared to throw her to the wolves residing in the Council chambers? I always thought you were better than that, you made me believe in you and I don't want to regret that." Iruka hated himself at that moment, he knew he could never regret putting his faith in Naruto. He was hitting below the belt and it stung to do it.

Naruto's face was buried in his knees. "…I'm not like them…" he murmured in disagreement. Iruke tsked.

"You sure are acting like them. Prove me wrong and we'll see."

"…Why?" Naruto whispered. "Why are you trying so hard to make me accept this?"

Iruka watched him seriously, although the blonde couldn't see. "Because she is your family Naruto. And without you, she's alone the same as you were. I never want to see that again."

Naruto finally pulled his tear-stained face out of his knees. "I guess…I can try. Maybe. For a little while. But no guarantees."_ Oh Kami, what am I doing? Stop!_ Damn that manipulation!

Iruka witnessed the blonde's internal battle and put a hand on his shoulder in comfort. "One day at a time ok?"

"…Yeah…"

**Ok I need suggestions for possible pairings! Yaoi and Het accepted, but no Sakura or Kakashi (it just wouldn't work in this fic). I'm considering Ino…Let me know! There more people who suggest a pairing the more likely it is I'll do it!**

**Will we find out her name next chapter? Stay tuned!**

**-TITM**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own…so yeah…**

**Here is where the pairing nominations currently stand:**

**Ayame: 3**

**Ino: 3**

**Shikamaru: 1**

**Gaara: 1**

**Sasuke: 1**

**Fu: 1**

**Kurenai: 1**

**Tayuya: 2**

**No pairing: 2**

**Thanks for the opinions everyone, please keep voting!**

**THANK YOU TO HPNU92 FOR BETA'ING THIS CHAPTER ****^_^**

Naruto trudged into the Hokage's office like he was getting sent out to war – determined, reluctant and full of nerves and uncertainty. The Sandaime glanced at Iruka, who nodded that everything was ok. Hiruzen inclined his head.

"Iruka, could you give us a moment?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The Chunin replied, sending Naruto one last concerned glance as he left, closing the door securely behind him.

"She will be released into your custody as soon as she is awake, and given a clean bill of health of course." He informed the blonde, who now sat opposite him once again. Naruto hesitate briefly before nodding.

"Um…right. Ok." He replied, still trying to wrap his head around it all.

"Naruto…you won't be alone in this you know. You have people who can help you, there's me and Iruka, and your team. Your friends I'm sure will do whatever they can." The grandfatherly figure reminded him gently.

Naruto's eyes widened. "But…" he trailed off.

"…You don't want them to know, is that it?" Hiruzen guessed.

Naruto looked away.

"Naruto, you cannot hide from the past forever. The deeper you bury it, the more ingrained into you it becomes." The Sandaime warned him seriously. He had seen far too many people become irrevocably immersed in the past.

Naruto shifted in his seat. "But…I can't tell people all that. I mean…they would look at me differently. And not even 'cause of Kyuubi this time."

The Hokage gave him a sad glance. "You have so little faith?"

"Jiji…_I_ would look at me differently. It's not something…I don't want things to change!" Naruto exclaimed, aware how childish he was sounding. But it was true!

"Life is all about change, Naruto. We grow up, we grow old. People are born and people die, these things are all a part of living. Change will always be surrounding us, but not all of it is bad." The Sandaime lectured.

Naruto scoffed.

"You don't believe me? Tell me, are you currently the Hokage?" The current Hokage asked nonchalantly.

"No…" Naruto mumbled.

"Well then, do you wish for that never to change? What about just a few months ago, were you a Shinobi?" Hiruzen inquired rhetorically. Naruto gave the floor a weak glare.

"…No…"

The Sandaime leant back in his chair, satisfied. "Exactly. Nobody can stop change, Naruto."

"I know that." The blonde grumbled. "I said I'd try, didn't I? That doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

"Well, I suppose it's time to meet her properly then?" The Hokage decided. The sooner the situation was introduced, the sooner everyone could become adapt accordingly. There was no sense it putting it off. "Naoko!" he called out to his secretary. The meek woman scampered into the office.

"Hai, Hokage-sama?"

"Send a request to the head Medic at the hospital, to bring the girl here as soon as she is awake and able." He ordered.

"Yes sir, right away." Naoko bowed and dashed away. Hiruzen met the blonde boy's tired gaze.

"Go home, Naruto. It's been a very stressful day you deserve some rest. I'm giving you a few weeks off duty-"

"What! No! Jiji, what about my team! And, and our missions! I can't just be lazy, and I need the money as well!" he protested heatedly.

"Naruto, you need this time more. Your team will function without you for a while; they can train and take missions with a substitute if required. It is not laziness in the least; I cannot have you on active duty when only half you mind is there." The Sandaime said with a stern tone.

"But-"

"No buts. Use this time to…get to know your daughter." The Sandaime pretended not to notice the blonde's flinch. "You can still train, see your friends…this is not a punishment, Naruto. But it is what's best for you right now. You and your daughter."

Naruto grimaced. "Stop…calling her that, it's weird. Just call her by her name or something."

Hiruzen rubbed the bridge of his nose. "As far as the records show, she doesn't have one."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "She doesn't…have a name?" he verified.

"She was never given one. The birth certificate and other documents are blank." The Hokage informed him gravely.

"What kind of…Damn." Even at his lowest, Naruto had _always_ had that at least. His identity. Kami, he knew that bitch was evil but...she didn't give her kid a _name?_

There was a knock on the solid wooden doors. "Hokage-sama?" Naoko's voice carried from outside the room.

"Yes, Naoko?"

The door opened ever-so-slightly, just enough for Naoko to sneak her head inside. "She's awake sir, they have a nurse bringing her over now."

"Thank you." He said, before looking back to Naruto. "It seems you will have to wait just a little longer before getting that rest after all."

Naruto snorted, pretending he wasn't about to throw up.

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She woke up in a very bright room, one she had never seen before. Except…no, she had seen it once, but only very briefly until she fell asleep again. She didn't understand where she was. Was this part of Okaa-san's house? Where was Okaa-san, did she leave again? She just didn't understand…People! There were people last time she woke up! Why were there people here? Okaa-san will be very angry, very, very angry! She was supposed to stay away from people, they would hurt her! Okaa-san told her so, and Okaa-san had never ever been wrong at all yet. She remembered the first time she had asked Okaa-san about people.

Flashback

_It was starting to get dark again, the sun was going to sleep and Okaa-san's house was quiet. She peeked through the curtains and watched the things outside. Okaa-san slapped her last time she was caught, so now she only did it when Okaa-san was gone. She knew she was being naughty, but she just liked watching things. Walking along the street in front of Okaa-san's house was people. There was a little person, just like her. A child. And there was their Okaa-san, trying to make the child wear a big coat. Was it cold out there? And next to the Okaa-san was someone else…a different person. She didn't know what kind of person it was, since they never looked like an Okaa-san. All the children she had seen were either with their Okaa-san or one of those…Was she supposed to have one? What were they? She had seen pictures of them on some of Okaa-san's books, but she was never allowed to read them._

_The strange person was laughing at the Okaa-san now, they looked very happy. She smiled to herself as she watched, it looked like fun! Suddenly, the person's head turned and looked over at her. She gasped and jumped away from the window, her heart beating really, really fast. That was so scary! Tentatively, she shifted a corner of the curtain away so she could peer through again. They were nearly gone out of sight now…_

_The 'click' of the front door signalled Okaa-san's return home, so she ran away from the window and went to see her. Okaa-san was ignoring her again, so she just followed her until she sat down at the table. Okaa-san didn't seem to be in a very bad mood…maybe it was ok to ask her now?_

"_Okaa-san?"_

"…" _Her Okaa-san was looking at the table. Her dark brown hair shadowed her face, making eye contact impossible. She didn't say anything._

"_Okaa-san, what that?" she asked, pointing to one of Okaa-san's books on the table. Her finger was pointing directly to the object in question._

_Okaa-san looked at her with blank purple eyes. "It's a man."_

"_A…Man?"_

_Okaa-san didn't reply anymore, so she just walked away and went to think. So…The other children had an Okaa-san and a Man? Was she supposed to have a Man too? Was that why Okaa-san wasn't happy? Well at least she knew what they were now._

End Flashback

She fiddled with the white sheets as she thought, until the door opened. Shrinking back, she waited for whoever it was to come in. Black hair was the first thing she saw, belonging to someone in white clothes. The Okaa-san was carrying some paper and smiled at her.

"Hello, how are you feeling sweetie?" she asked with a warm smile.

_Sweetie? What that?_ "Um…I good." She replied quietly.

The smile grew. "That's great! Now, why don't we get you dressed and take you to meet the Hokage?"

She had no idea what this 'Hokage' thing was, but it was better than sitting in this bright room all day. "Ok."

After getting changed out of her half-dress thing they put her in, she got her hair brushed and took hold of the Okaa-san's hand, following her out of the room.

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"They're here, Hokage-sama." The intimidating figure of the ANBU intoned.

"Thank you, Bear." The Sandaime nodded, and Bear instantly melted back into the shadows. Naruto shifted uneasily in his chair. "Naruto?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just…soon, but I'm fine." He repeated; most likely just to convince himself.

The door open and Naoko led in a young, black haired Nurse and a small girl. Naruto just stared. She was wearing a light blue shirt with a sunflower on it, with sandy-brown pants. Her shoes were what looked like white hospital slippers, and probably were. She looked much the same as when he had first seen her, but the difference now was that he knew. He _knew_ that she was supposed to be his responsibility now, and it was a nerve-wracking thing. Kami, how was he supposed to do this?_ Could_ he do it? Uzumaki Naruto never went back on his word, and he swore to try but…he didn't want to mess up this kid's life, or his own for that matter! His determined vision of the future was crumbling.

He had always believed he would rise through the ranks using hard work, become Hokage and live out his dream! But now his whole world had shaken and turned upside down. Everything had changed. Could he still do it? …He had to do it! There was no other choice, he would never give up! Not even now! He was called unpredictable right? So he would do the unpredicted and make this work! The blonde worked himself into a near frenzy with his pep-talk. He knew the lingering notion of her not really being his was demolished the moment he saw her again.

She had blue eyes. The same eyes he saw every day in the mirror were watching him with wary curiosity, and he had no idea how to react. The Sandaime cleared his throat.

"Nurse-san, thank you for bringing her here so quickly."

The Nurse bowed, as much as possible while in uniform. "You're most welcome, Hokage-sama."

"_You_'_re_ the Ho-Kagy thingy?" a higher-pitched voice asked. All eyes went to the unconvinced looking girl.

"Hokage, sweetie." The Nurse corrected, sending the Hokage an apologetic smile.

She tilted her head in confusion. "But, thoughts it was a Man?" she asked, honestly bewildered. The Nurse sweatdropped.

"…Hokage-sama is a man. Just like I am a woman, and-"

She blinked and scrunched up her nose. "Woo-man? But you an Okaa-san!" she protested. The Nurse giggled.

"No, no, I'm far too young to be an Okaa-san just yet." She replied with yet another smile at the child.

She frowned in confusion. "So you a Man?"

The Nurse spluttered, and the Sandaime hid his chuckle in a fake cough. Naruto couldn't stop his lips from twitching in an effort not to laugh. The Nurse's face was priceless!

Said Nurse began to recover, much to the dismay of Naruto and secretly the Hokage. "I am most certainly _not_ a man! How could you even think such a thing?"

"Um…I no know." She shrugged her small shoulders. She looked around the office for something, pouting when she didn't find it. "Where Okaa-san? …She gonna be mad if 'm not at da house 'nymore."

Naruto flinched visibly and looked at the ground, trying to control his swirling thoughts. Now was not the time to get all depressed.

The Nurse began to pat her on the head, eyes filling with tears. "Oh, dear, I'm afraid your Okaa-san isn't here anymore."

"Huh? She gone again? But Oka-san 'lways come back later." She told the grown-ups wisely.

"No Sweetie, not this time." The Nurse said gently.

"No come back?" She asked her big blue eyes uncomprehending.

The Sandaime sighed. "Nurse-san, perhaps it would be best if we had a talk in private, I'm sure you understand?"

"Oh, of course Hokage-sama." The Nurse bowed. "Goodbye Sweetie!"

"Bye-bye!" She waved.

"Now, why don't' you sit down and we can talk, ok?" The Hokage suggested kindly, pointing to another chair.

"…K!" she said, hopping up onto it and swinging her legs underneath her.

"What is the last thing you remember? Before you went to the hospital." Hiruzen began questioning.

"Um…Okaa-san was tessing with me." She remembered.

The Hokage frowned. "…Tessing? You mean testing?" he guessed grimly, hoping she would say no.

Her legs kept swinging happily. "Uh huh…Okaa-san tesses me lots t' see."

"To see what?" The Sandaime asked, leaning forward and placing his linked palms in front of him. Maybe he could finally find some answers.

She squirmed. "Um, I no know…"

He sighed. "Ok…Well, this is Naruto." The Hokage introduced, gesturing to the blonde boy who looked faintly dizzy.

"Oh…Hewwo!" She waved. What was a naruto anyway? Shrugging it off, she squinted and looked the Man up and down. He was a small-ish Man, but still _lots_ bigger than her.

"…Hello." He replied somewhat awkwardly, raising a hand in greeting. Damn, what to say now? Ugh, it was awkward!

The Sandaime smiled. "Well, now that we all know each other, Naruto has agreed to have you live with him for a while at his house, would you like that?"

She didn't really know if she wanted to go with this stranger…but he seemed to be pretty nice. Even if he didn't really look at her, but that was nothing new. "Um…ok."

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"So…um, I guess we should go in." Naruto said, pulling out the key to his new apartment, courtesy of the Hokage of course. He opened the door and stepped inside, taking in the space. It was at least triple the size of his old place! All of his things had already been moved from his old apartment into here, as well as some new stuff he had never seen before. Was that a _couch?_ It was huge! And there was a fireplace! There were two bedrooms, a _stocked_ kitchen, and a bathroom with not only a shower that looked like it _worked_, but also a bath! _Hokage-jiji has really outdone himself this time…_Naruto thought in awe.

Suddenly it dawned on him that he was enjoying this alone. Walking back to the front door and looking out in confusion, he found the girl still standing there with the tiny backpack of things the ANBU collected for her from her old house.

"Aren't you coming in?" he asked.

She blinked. "In…dere?"

"Well yeah…you live here now too right?" Naruto tried to explain.

"Um…" she looked down at her feet. The hospital slippers had been replaced by little sandals. "Ok." She followed him in. Naruto shook his head in bewilderment, would he ever understand children? Konohamaru and his friends were bad enough…

Naruto frowned when he noticed a piece of paper sticking to the door of his new room. He pulled it off and began to read.

_Yo!_

Naruto suppressed a groan.

_When the Hokage requested my presence, only saying it was to do with you, I was a tad concerned. But, as it turns out I am simply your house-mover. Congratulations, as a house-warming gift I gave you your very own library!_

Naruto glared at the pile of suspiciously orange books by his bed. Orange? Good. Icha Icha? Bad.

_Ok, so maybe not a whole library, but the good literature!_

Naruto snorted, resolving to burn the books at the nearest opportunity.

_I'm curious as to why there is a second bedroom, one getting filled with some horrifically girly things as we speak. I think you have some explaining to do next time we meet, my cute little Genin._

Naruto banged his head against the doorframe. Multiple times.

_Well, I must be going, ja ne!_

_P.S I've placed a protection seal on the books, to avoid any accidents._

Naruto gritted his teeth at the little eye-smiling cartoon Kakashi had drawn here. Damn him, he was always one step ahead! Growling, he threw the note in the bin and made his way to where the girl was waiting, putting his infuriating Sensei and what to tell him out of his mind.

He plonked himself down on his new, unbelievable comfy couch and stretched. The girl just stood there, obviously having no idea what to do now. There was silence.

_Oh Kami, not the awkwardness again…_ Naruto mentally groaned. So, doing what he does best, he filled the silence. "So, we're here now I guess. It's a nice place, right? Way bigger than my old place, although you never saw that. Do you like ramen?"

"…What ramen?" she wondered.

Naruto shot up from his position immediately. "You've…never had ramen?" he asked in shock, forgetting all else for the moment.

She shook her head. "No…"

Naruto stalked away out of the room muttering _'evil, pure evil!'_ He returned a few minutes later with a chopsticks and a bowl, which he handed to the girl, then sat back down to watch with expectant eyes.

She sniffed. "This…ramen?"

"Yep! Best food in the whole world." He said with forced cheerfulness. "Now eat."

"…How?"

Cursing to himself as he realised she didn't know how to use chopsticks, Naruto once again retreated to the kitchen and dug around until he found his sparsely-used fork.

"Here. It's hot by the way." He added as an afterthought.

Using the given fork, she slowly brought up a single noodle to her mouth, blowing on it before eating it. Naruto watched intently, awaiting her response. Come on, he had to have _something_ in common with this girl, right?

As soon as she swallowed, Naruto checked her reaction. "So?"

She smiled happily. "It nice! …Can I have more pease?" she asked with begging eyes.

"Um, yeah…the whole bowl is yours." Naruto said with a scrunched up brow. What kind of mindset did kids have anyway?

"Weally? YAY!" she laughed, plucking another single noodle out of the bowl. Naruto sighed; it was going to take _forever_ until she finished the damn thing.

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It had been almost a week since she had come to live with him, and each day was somehow easier and at the same time harder than the last. He was fine as long as he pretended that it was another baby-sitting D-rank or something like that. That he could deal with. She was a nice kid, not a terror like some of the others he had been forced to watch over in the past. As long as he shut the memories away in their box, thoroughly padlocked, everything was fine. After a dinner consisting of meat and vegetables, which Iruka _insisted _on sending them, he approached her.

"Hey, um, look I can't just keep calling you 'girl' all the time…what did your…_Okaa-san,_ call you?" Naruto asked, cringing as he brought up that woman. He knew that technically she was never named, but surely she was addressed as s_omething_ all those years.

She grinned. "Okaa-san call me girl too! I am girl and she Okaa-san!" she said matter-of-factly.

Naruto nodded slowly. "…Right. But I mean, like a name."

"Name?" She blinked.

"Yeah…Like, my name is Naruto. It's…something only you are called." He struggled to explain.

She hummed thoughtfully. "…I no think I has one of d'ose." She decided.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Well…then we can think of one you want, I guess."

She looked unbelievably overwhelmed and utterly clueless. "Um…"

"Ok…we can start with that toy monkey you brought in that bag. Go get it." Naruto suggested, watched as she scampered off to her bedroom. She returned with a ragged looking brown monkey. Both of the black button eyes were staring out at the world, frankly creeping Naruto out a little.

"Ok," he began, "Now, what do you want to call it? It can be something it reminds you of or something you like…"

"Um…Monkey?" She tried.

Naruto refused to let his head drop. "…Ok, but maybe something a bit more…I don't know, creative? What about…Weird-eyes." He suggested, still looking at the creepy buttons.

She giggled, holding a hand up to her mouth. "No!" she shook her head. "That silly!"

"It's allowed to be silly!" Naruto protested.

Her lips were pursed, as if she was trying to figure out the most important thing in the Universe. "Huggie."

"…Huggie?" Naruto clarified with a sweatdrop.

"Yep!" she confirmed brightly. Naruto shook his head.

"Ok, that'll do."

"What 'bout my name?" She yawned.

Naruto held in a yawn himself. "It's late, we'll figure that one out in the morning, k?"

"K!" she grinned, running back to her room with the newly dubbed Huggie in hand. "Night night Nar'to!" she called out.

Naruto ran a hand through his golden spikes and let out a shaky breath. This whole ordeal was exhausting…but not as bad as he had feared, not yet anyway.

**To clear up any confusion, she thinks all females are called 'Okaa-sans' and males are called a 'Man'. So a normal woman is an Okaa-san and a Tou-san is called a Man. Her Okaa-san is called 'Okaa-san', while all other women as referred to as 'the Okaa-san'. This is only temporary until she learns more, she is smart but her knowledge has been quite limited.**

**Don't forget to vote!**

**-TITM**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: If I owned the real 'Naruto', then this would never exist…Gah, the horror! D=**

**Here is where the pairing nominations currently stand:**

**Ayame: 3**

**Ino: 8**

**Shikamaru: 1**

**Gaara: 1**

**Sasuke: 1**

**Fu: 1**

**Yakumo Kurama: 1 (If you've forgotten, it's Kurenai's old student, the artist girl with a demon inside her. She's Anime-only.)**

**Hinata: 1**

**Kurenai: 1**

**Tayuya: 2**

**No pairing: 6**

**Wow, we've got a real competition between Ino and No Pairing there! Thanks for the opinions everyone, and please keep voting!**

**I forgot the warnings last chapter! So here they are once again:**

**WARNINGS: Swearing, mentions of past rape, child abuse**

**This chapter has been mostly done for a while, but I just hadn't edited. Sorry about the wait! In order to get it out sooner I didn't check really thoroughly, so I hope it's ok enough!**

_Naruto was dreaming…It was a nice dream, at first. But then it got weird. Sakura had finally agreed to go on a date with him, so they headed out to Ichiraku ramen. It had been going well, but just when Sakura had started confessing her love for him, her hair began to fall out. Pink locks slid to the floor, and ramen noodles grew in their place. Sakura continued, oblivious to her new slimy hairdo. And just when Naruto thought it couldn't get any stranger, out of nowhere Chouji arrived and started to eat Sakura's new ramen-hair. He just kept going while Naruto watched in horror until he had actually _eaten_ Sakura completely! Chouji then patted his stomach and let out a belch that shook the village like an earthquake. But it didn't stop, it all just kept shaking. What was…_

"Nar'to." she said once again, shaking his shoulder to wake him.

Naruto struggled towards consciousness. "…Nugh…" It was then that he noticed the creepy monkey's button eyes were about three inches from his face and, still half asleep, he shot up in fright.

"…Nar'to you gots ta get up now." she said, looking up at his sleep-bleared face.

"…Why?" he whined.

She glanced around the room suspiciously. "Someting's at da window and it's scarry."

"What?" he croaked.

"Shh!" she shushed him. "Dey'll hear you!" she whispered loudly. Naruto groaned as he sat up.

"Ok, ok, stay here. I'll check." He walked out the door mumbling about little kids and imaginary monsters.

"See?" He called back in the direction of his room. "There's nothing- GAH! Kakashi-sensei, what the hell?" Naruto shouted at the man leaning casually against the wall, in a shadow. "You scared the shit out of me! How did you get in here anyway?"

Kakashi gave his student a deadpanned look. He pointed to himself and raised the visible eyebrow. "Ninja."

"…Right, well _why_ are you here?" The blonde demanded._ Shit, I just hope she has the sense to stay quiet in there, I really don't have the energy for _that_ conversation right now…_

Kakashi pushed off against the wall and walked over to Naruto as if nothing was out if the ordinary. "Oh, no reason, I just wanted to check up on my beloved student! You've been MIA for all of our team meetings this week."

Naruto rubbed his forehead. "I thought Sandaime-jiji told you-"

"Oh he did, but I want to know why. When I asked-"_ demanded_ "-he said that it was your choice to tell. So, tell?"

"It's four o'clock in the morning!" Naruto growled. Kakashi's one eye gave Naruto a kicked-puppy look.

"But Gai woke me up and I ran away-"

"I don't care! Let me _sleep!_"

"…Fine, But you _will_ tell me later." He said sternly, climbing onto the window sill. He turned back nonchalantly. "Oh, and tell that little girl I didn't mean to scare her." He dropped out of sight.

Naruto sighed, rubbing a hand over his face wearily._ Shit._

_And who the hell is this 'Gai' everybody keeps mentioning?_

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"So…" Naruto tapped his fingers against the breakfast table as he waiting for the ramen to cook. "I'm going to go and see my team today and hopefully train a little. Did you...want to visit Iruka-sensei?" He suggested to the bedraggled girl, who scrunched up her nose. She was wearing a simple yellow and blue patterned pair of pyjamas, and hadn't brushed her hair yet.

"Hmm, no. 'Wuka is nice but he maked me eat that yucky stuff."

"Yes, I see your point…Who knew they could hide vegetables in a cake? Ugh." Naruto shuddered. Why was everybody so damn insistent that he –_they,_ ate vegetables? Nothing that tastes that bad could be good for you anyway!

She waved her fork slowly in the air, just for the fun of it. "…Can I goes with Nar'to?" she asked hopefully. She hadn't been able to see much of the village yet, because they were almost always inside.

Naruto considered. "Uh…I…guess?"_ Well, I most likely have to tell Kakashi-sensei today anyway…Hopefully Sasuke-teme and Sakura won't ask too many questions. They've never been very interested in my life before anyway…It should be fine. _He assured himself.

Her eyes lit up. "Yay! So wheres we goin'?"

"To my team's meeting spot, we're called Team Seven! It's the best team ever!" Naruto bragged, completely unashamed.

"Best team ever!" She repeated with an enthusiastic laugh, throwing her arms into the air. And almost hitting Naruto with the fork.

_Damn, this kid is dangerous! _He thought with slight nervousness as he put more distance between himself and the spiked object. "But before we go, we still need to decide on your new name, remember?"

"Oh!" She gasped. "Can Huggie help 'cide too?"

"…Sure, why not." Naruto replied, still not used to the whole stuffed-monkey-has-an-opinion thing.

She trotted back into the room, monkey in tow. She set him up carefully in a sitting position at the table, although he quickly drooped over once she removed her hand. Sighing, Naruto pulled out a Kunai, planning to stick it into the already blade-dented table and let the stuffed animal lean on it as best it could, but he was distracted by a small whimper.

"…What?" He blinked.

She said nothing, just looking down at her bare feet with watery eyes.

"Wh-Hey! Don't start crying!" He looked at the Kunai he was still holding. "…Is it this? I'm not going to hurt you or anything!" Kami, did this kid really think he would do that? I mean, sure he wasn't completely comfortable around her –and that was an understatement-but he would never actually hurt her at all! Was he really doing such an awful job at all this that she believed that?

"N' more…n' more, n' more, n' more tessing…"

"…Hey, are you ok?" _What a stupid question._ He thought slightly bitterly. But what else was he supposed to say?

"…N' more, pease…"

Naruto ran a hand through his hair in stress. "Shit. I've broken a child. I knew this was a bad idea." Putting the Kunai away, he knelt down in front of her unsurely. "Um…It's gone now, you can calm down."

The whimpering died down, although the slight shaking to her frame continued. She warily raised her eyes. "Gone?"

"Yep, all gone." He said with a small, false smile in an attempt to reassure her.

"…No tessing?" She whispered, glancing around as if somebody was trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Um, no…" Wanting desperately to change the subject, Naruto stood back up, retrieved the now cooling ramen and placed it in front of her firmly. "Now finish your breakfast, I won't have any ramen wasting you hear?"

She giggled a little and went back to slurping up the noodles. By the time she had finished one and a half bowls, Naruto had already downed four.

"…Hey." He began uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, ok? For…scaring you before."

"S'ok. I fo'give Nar'to!" She grinned happily, capturing Huggie in a tight hold.

He watched as she jumped out of her chair and bounced out of the room, leaving him alone.

"Yeah…" He whispered to himself. "I suppose I forgive you too." _Even if I will never forgive _her_._ Shaking his head against the sudden thoughts, Naruto once again pushed it all into the back of his mind. Acknowledging the harsh reality of '_parenthood'_ could wait until another time, when he was sure he was ready to deal with it. One thought however refused to fade.

"…Kaiya…" He mused out loud, nodding to himself. It seemed he had finally found a name.

_Forgiveness._

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_Where the hell is that baka, he hasn't shown up in ages!_ Sakura fumed as she stood in silence at Team Seven's meeting place. _But who cares! At least now he isn't in the way all of the time of my bonding with Sasuke-kun…_Although she began to almost miss the blonde's irritations, because at least he did something! The tension –silence- was killing her!

"Um…Sasuke-kun," she blushed when he glanced over with indifference. "Would you like to-"

"No."

"O-oh. Ok Sasuke-kun, another time then." She smiled. Sasuke almost snorted, but that would require breaking his personal code of non-reaction.

A few minutes later, Sakura got up the courage to try and start a conversation again. "Where do you suppose Naruto has been lately, even he's not stupid enough to forget _all_ our meetings, right Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"He could be sick I guess, it would serve him right for eating that crap all the time." She attempted with a weak laugh.

"Hn…"

_Yes! That one sounded like he was paying more attention, right? It was a sign!_ Sakura thought with excitement. This was her chance! "Well, he might be coming today, so I guess it doesn't matter. But, in the mean time we could-"

"No."

_Aaand shot down again._ Sakura internally wilted. She knew he was just playing hard to get, and as much as it made him seem so cool, it was hard on her sometimes! Why couldn't Sasuke-kun just let her instead of shutting her out?

"R-right. Sorry Sasuke-kun, I'll…let you think quietly now."_ While I daydream-ahem, PLAN- our wedding, eek! A white Kimono with tiny little sakura petals cascading down the side and-_

"Hello children!" Sakura reared back in surprise as their grey-haired Sensei appeared out of thin air. She scowled.

"You're late Kakashi-sensei!"

_Oh, REALLY?_ Kakashi thought, rolling his Sharingan eye only because they couldn't see it. "Ah, I'm sorry Sakura, Sasuke! I got a little caught up with writing a mission report, but I left it for later because _you_ my precious Genin come first!"

"Tch. Right." _That would actually be a good excuse, for once, if it wasn't for the fact that he doesn't go on missions without us unless it's urgent._ Sasuke thought._ Which is very unlikely._

"Kakashi-sensei, what are we doing today?" Sakura inquired politely, inwardly praying it wasn't another ridiculous D-rank.

Kakashi practically glowed. "Well, since you asked so nicely. We are just going to have a light training session when Naruto gets here, since while he's 'off duty' he isn't allowed to do all that much right now."_ Sandaime-sama knows how Naruto deals with stress, so I have to agree it is best. Whatever the situation is, there is no doubt it's taking a toll. We can't have him destroying the grounds…_

"The Dobe's off duty? What the hell did he do now?" Sasuke grunted in annoyance.

"HEY! I didn't do anything Sasuke-teme!" An annoyed voice called out from the path leading up to the bridge.

"If you hadn't done anything, and you're not hurt, then why would you be off duty? It was probably another one of your idiotic pranks!" Sakura scolded with her hands on her hips.

"Maa, maa, calm down everybody, I think you're scaring our guest." Kakashi cut in, gesturing to the figure standing directly behind Naruto. She peeked around him with wide, nervous eyes as she reached up one hand to fiddle with Naruto's jumpsuit. The ever-present Huggie was hanging dangerously close to the ground from her limp arm, his long legs almost trailing in the dirt.

"What…who is that?" Sakura asked in surprise. Naruto stepped aside so they could get a better look, leaving her in the spotlight like a startled deer.

"This is…my…um, Kaiya." Naruto struggled. He had told her of her knew name on the way over, and she immediately took a liking to it, once Huggie had approved it of course. She said it sounded pretty. "Kaiya, this is Kakashi-sensei, or as you know him 'the scary-window-guy', and this is Sakura-chan, and that is Sasuke-teme." He listed off his team, pointing to each of them as he went.

"Wow, she looks just like you! Naruto, why didn't you ever tell us you had a sister! We are your teammates, we should know!" Sakura exclaimed. Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Oh...she's not my, I mean, she's-"

"Naruto is an orphan Sakura, he can't have a sister because his parents died a long time ago." Sasuke cut in, unknowingly saving his blonde teammate's ass.

Sakura looked bewildered. "But…_Look_ at her! Maybe…maybe Naruto only thought they died, but really they're alive! That could be possible, right Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura speculated. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable conclusion.

Kakashi just shook his head in response. _I know for a fact that Minato and Kushina both died that night, there is no mistaking that. Kushina may have had a few relatives left somewhere, but this girl looks nothing like her, she has Sensei's hair! But Minato-sensei was an orphan as well…it could be possible, but then why the whisker marks?_ "No Sakura, I can assure you that that is not the case."

"So who is she then?" She asked, confused. Naruto rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"A…relative I'm looking after for a while. She came to watch us train today." He explained.

"Awesome, it'll be great to have another girl around this time, right Kaiya-chan?" Sakura winked. This was the perfect time to show Sasuke-kun how good she was with kids!

Kaiya squinted at the pink-haired girl. "Um…Are _you_ a Man?"

"_WHAT?"_ Sakura shrieked. "No, I'm a girl! And someday I'll be a woman, then a wife and then Okaa-san to Sas-um, somebody's children! But I will never ever be a _man!_"

The blonde girl's head tilted to the side. "…But you has no boobies."

…

…

…

"_NA-RU-TO!"_ Sakura roared.

"What? _I _didn't say anything!" He yelped, dodging his teammates fists as she charged at him.

"You made this innocent little girl like _you!_" She hissed in fury. Really! Corrupting a child!

Kakashi sweatdropped. "Um, Sakura, I think…it was an honest question rather than an insult." He said, watching the obviously startled Kaiya struggle to understand the sudden turn of events.

Sasuke was subtly trying to still his chest, which was shuddering with internal laughter. At least the Chibi-Dobe didn't have the same blind obsession with Sakura. Sakura, who was meanwhile attempting to explain that girls don't get…_them_, until they got older, which was why neither of them had any. Kaiya blinked and pointed at Sasuke.

"Is 'suke a Okaa-san too?"

Time froze.

Or at least, it seemed to. Even the birds stopped chirping, as all attention was turned to an innocently curious Kaiya, whose finger was still pointed at the last Uchiha. Kakashi was the first to move.

"Um…no." He answered mildly.

"Oh…but's pretty!" The blonde girl protested.

Sakura couldn't help but agree to that statement, although she was still miffed at her Sasuke-kun being called a girl. Naruto finally burst into hysterics and crippled over, unable to properly stand in his laughter. Sasuke was partly offended, and also partly concerned. What if this was the beginning of another Fangirl? He didn't need kids coming after him too! He would never admit that there was a very small part of him that was amused.

"Never change, Kaiya." Naruto snickered. "Never change."

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The sun was only just beginning it's decent behind the Hokage Mountains, and after a infuriatingly slow-paced day of training, Naruto had made his way to the Hokage Tower to speak to the Sandaime.

"I'm telling you Jiji, something was seriously weird. Just the sight of my Kunai and out of nowhere she was really upset! She was mumbling stuff about testing and not wanting it anymore. What the heck was up with all that?"

Hiruzen let out a small puff of smoke before returning his pipe back between his wizened lips. "Yes…I've already called for the assistance of one of the Yamanaka clan's Shinobi to evaluate her mental state." He said somewhat grimly.

Naruto searched his memory for the name, it sounded vaguely familiar… "As in Ino's clan? What can they do?"

The Sandaime nodded and began to explain. "The Yamanaka clan specialises in jutsus affecting the mind. It can be useful for not only offence, but also interrogation-"

"You're going to _interrogate her?_" The blonde interrupted. Hiruzen waved him down before continuing.

"No, no! As I was saying, they are skilled at interrogation because of their ability to search through a person's mind and memories, although they must be rather specific as to what they are searching for or they could become lost. The mind is a very complex thing."

"…So you want to check her memories? And hey! You said you've already called them, how did you know so soon?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

The Sandaime smiled in an almost sheepish way. "I have admittedly been checking up on you both from time to time with my crystal ball, to see how everything is progressing."

"Pervert." Naruto muttered.

"Hmm?" The Hokage raised his eyebrows in question. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Nothing."

Hiruzen nodded in approval. "I have set the appointment for tomorrow at noon, just bring her here then. It shouldn't take more than an hour or two to find what we need to know."

"…Ok Jiji, but make sure they know what they're doing."

"Of course." The Sandaime said, as if it were obviously going to happen with or without the blonde's conditioning. "Although I fear that her reactions earlier may reveal something of the testing she spoke of which we may not wish to believe."

There was silence in the Hokage's Office as both were covered in a depressive aura. Snapping out of it first, Hiruzen let a slightly forced smile take up residence on his face.

"So, Kaiya huh? It's a beautiful name."_ And extremely appropriate given the circumstances._

"Oh, yeah…I just randomly thought of it, it's no big deal." Naruto shrugged. He didn't want to go getting all sentimental over it. It's…just a name.

"Well at least now we can finally fill out that particular pile of paperwork, it has been mocking me all week." The Sandaime said, glancing morosely at a relatively small pile of paper which was overshadowed by larger and much more intimidating ones. "Now I think it's about time you relieved Iruka of his babysitting duties, he has to teach a whole class of children tomorrow as well." He said with a wink. Naruto had dropped Kaiya off at Iruka's before coming here, but only because he knew Iruka-sensei would happily help him out.

Naruto laughed. "Ok Jiji, cya later!"

Hiruzen watched the blonde shoot out of the room fondly, before picking the first piece of paper off the pile and beginning to write in his familiar script.

_Uzumaki Kaiya._

He leant back in his chair, raising the pipe to his lips and taking a deep breath in, closing his eyes. _Minato, Kushina, I know you are just as proud of him as I am. I only pray that the path remains free of hazards as it has thus far. I'm truly sorry it came to this, but I know you will watch over them both when I cannot._

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Naruto walked along the familiar route to Iruka-sensei's house, never noticing the following shadow until it leapt in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"K-Kakashi-sensei?" he stuttered in shock. Did the man have to be so sneaky? It wasn't fair!

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." The Jounin waggled his finger back and forth condescendingly. "No running away this time!"

Naruto shifted. "Uh, Sensei, could I talk to you another-"

"Oh no!" Kakashi interrupted. "I am usually I patient man, I have never once skipped to the end of a book! But there is only so much I can take of this…mystery stuff!"

"Of course, you only read smut…" Naruto muttered.

"No changing the subject! It's time you told me the truth." Kakashi said, changing from cheerful to serious in an instant. It made Naruto wonder which of them was real, if any. Or was it both? You could never know with Kakashi-sensei.

"So who is she Naruto?"

**Well there you go! Her name is Kaiya! Which just in case you missed, apparently means forgiveness. Next chapter we have another Flashback of Kaiya's past, and Naruto is forced to face his demons (And no, it is not the Kyuubi)!**

**Don't forget to vote! ^_^**

**-TITM**


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